Keeping the Rollbahnen Open!
The exhibit above is the remains of a German identity disc, although not clear in the photograph the legend reads "3./Pi.Ers. Batl. 253" with the personal number of "5491" and bloodgroup "0". The addition of this item to the virtual museum collection and it's history then brought about a remarkable set of circumstances from the son of another German Pioneer soldier.
Pioneer Ersatz Battalion 253 began it's existence on 26th August 1939 in Wehrkreis VI, Cologne-Westhoven, in the Mudra barracks. Up until this moment officers and NCO's of Pioneer Battalion 26 had been stationed here.
On January 1st 1941 the 1st Kompanie of Pioneer Ersatz Battalion 211 was integrated into the Battalion as it's new 3rd Kompanie. (We can therefore assume that owner of this tag joined the 3rd Kompanie at or sometime after January 1941). The 2nd Kompanie of Pioneer Ersatz Battalion 211 became the new 4th Kompanie of Pioneer Ersatz Battalion 253.
From 1942 to '44 the Battalion saw frequent action as a result of increasing Allied Air attacks and the need to keep infrastructure intact. This included having to recover over 700 buried casualties in ravaged Cologne near the Cathedral.
During September 1944 the unit, now in the Eifel near Kesternich was moved to Nideggen in the Hurtgen Forest. At this point it became part of the 526th Infantry Division with a CP at Kesternich. With Kompanies on both sides of the Westwall the Battalion was then transferred to the command of 89th Infantry Division to act as part of a blocking force in this part of the Westwall.
On 16th September, the men get their baptism of fire. The 2nd of October finds the Battalion CP in a flour mill. On 5th October 1944, the Battalion is attached to Heeres Pioneer Battalion 253B. It is dependent upon the cooperation of 189th Pioneer Battalion. On November 2nd the Battalion is formerly attached as part of the 89th Infantry Division. As part of the 89th, the men in the 3rd Kompanie Pioneer Ersatz Battalion 253 were now involved in the battle for the Hurtgen Forest...
Our man survived the "Death Factory" and the subsequent reverses towards the Rhine. His Kompanie as first attached to the 275th Infantry Division, and then 272nd Volksgrenadier Division. He and his comrades were about the play another important role, this time as part of the "Wacht Am Rhein" offensive...
On 15th December 1944 the Battalion take up position as flank security in the area of Eicherscheid. On 17th December they are having to repel counter attacks by the Amis. On 20th December they begin Pioneer technical employment under Obersturmführer Max Hansen. They are used to build an auxiliary road net for supplying the battlegroup in the Heppenbach/St.Vith area. They are congratulated by the SS for their fast and efficient work in keeping the road net open.
However by 1st January the dream in all over. The Pioneers, having spent a miserable Christmas in dilapidated quarters with little food are then broken up and redistributed piecemeal to repair roads to help the retreat of their comrades.
The survivors are used as Infantry again as they become part of the LXIV Armee Korps and are involved in the battle around Remagen. Somewhere in this area the owner of this identity disc was parted from it. The unit was dissolved after the Remagen battle, so perhaps he made his way home and survived the war.
The research for this item put me in touch with a man named Ralf, whose Father had also been in Pioneer Ersatz Battalion 253. Ralfs Fathers erkennungsmarke read "2./Pi.Ers. Batl. 253" and a personal number of "5931". This led me to question whether this was just an extraordinary coincidence in there only being one digit difference in these two discs, one belonging to Ralfs Father, a member of 2nd Kompanie and the one in the collection belonging to a 3rd kompanie man!!
During one of the Battalions many re-organisations Ralfs Father had ended up fighting on the Eastern Front and was severely wounded (shrapnel to the chest, abdomen, right thigh and the loss of his right hand). Despite these critical injuries Ralf Father also survived the war.
Two identity discs, so very similar in detail and yet telling two very different stories.